In the 21st century, people will live longer. A quarter of the people who turned 50 in 2012 could live to be 100. So 50 becomes a halfway point, not the beginning of older or old age.
New Middle Age is the response to this trend. It aims to distinguish those aged 50 to retirement – whenever that may be – from older generations, and create a new image of a dynamic, effective and productive new generation.
New Middle Age aims to champion the interests of the 50 to retirement generation, promote a new age aware economics, and campaign to reduce discrimination on the basis of age including where that is combined with issues such as gender, socio economic status, ethnicity or disability.
To do this it will seek to:
- identify and publicise key issues, develop solutions, influence policy, and work to improve outcomes for this generation.
- report on new findings, data and research.
- undertake research and encourage research by others.
- promote and influence debate through thought-leadership, networking, lobbying and campaigning.
- inform people in New Middle Age and provide evidence for professional bodies, public policy makers, employers and other campaign and research groups.
About the Founder
New Middle Age was founded by Angela Watson in 2017.
A graduate of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, Angela’s early career was in the City where she became a successful risk manager. She broke her career when her husband was posted overseas, intending to pick up on returning to London, but family matters intervened – a difficult twin pregnancy and both twins admitted to intensive care. With an older son in school, she elected to extend her career break and switch to pro bono research and community engagement.
Angela picked up her career with a change in direction. An internship with the Fawcett Society, and a spell supporting the Labour Party National Women and Equalities Officer, were followed by a move to Westminster as manager of Labour’s Commission on Older Women and Parliamentary Assistant to the Rt Hon Fiona Mactaggart MP, then Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party Women’s Group and Co-Chair of the Modern Slavery All Party Group.
Angela co-authored the first report of the Commission on Older Women and authored the closing report, ‘Our Time: a strategy for older women in work, in their caring responsibilities and in public life’, published just ahead of the 2015 General Election. Later that year, during their launch run-up, she advised the Women’s Equality Party on strategies for older women.
With her focus now clearly on the needs and contribution of people between 50 and retirement, Angela continued her research independently and in 2017 founded New Middle Age.
You can read more about Angela on her LinkedIn page here.